Gandhi's ascetic activism : renunciation and social action / Veena R. Howard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Howard, Veena R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Asceticism--Hinduism.

Asceticism.

Celibacy--Religious aspects--Hinduism.

Celibacy.

Passive resistance.

Nonviolence.

Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948--Philosophy.

Gandhi.

Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948--Religion.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (311 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

More than six decades after his death, Mohandas Gandhi continues to inspire those who seek political and social liberation through nonviolent means. Uniquely, Gandhi placed celibacy and other renunciatory disciplines at the center of his nonviolent political strategy, conducting original experiments with their possibilities to gain practical, moral, and even miraculous powers for social change. Gandhi's abstinence in marriage, eccentric views on sexuality, and odd ways of including his female associates in his practices continue to cause ambivalence among scholars and students. Through a comprehensive study of Gandhi's own words, select Indian religious texts and myths that he used, and the historical and cultural context of his activism, Veena R. Howard shows how Gandhi's ascetic disciplines helped him mobilize millions. She explores Gandhi's creative use of renunciation in challenging established paradigms of confrontational politics, passive asceticism, and oppressive social customs. Howard's book sheds new light on the creative possibilities Gandhi discovered in combining personal renunciation, sacrifice, ritual, and myth for modern day social action.

Contents:

""Gandhi�s Ascetic Activism: Renunciation and Social Action""; ""Contents""; ""Notes on Symbols from Indian Language: Vocabulary and Transliteration""; ""Preface""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Introduction""; ""Chapter One: Challenging the Philosophical Presupposition: Gandhi�s Unconventional Synthesis of Asceticism and Activism""; ""Chapter Two: Gandhi�s Alternative Paradigm: From Traditional Principles to New Political Purposes""; ""Chapter Three: The Traditional Roots of Gandhi�s Brahmacarya""

""Chapter Four: Gandhi�s Unorthodox Brahmacarya: Reinterpreting Private Religious Practice for Public Service""""Chapter Five: Gandhi�s Embodiment of Legendary Heroes and Ascetics: Toward a Coherent Narrative for Nonviolent Activism""; ""Conclusion: Gandhi�s Dynamic Synthesis of Renunciation and Social Action""; ""Appendix 1""; ""Appendix 2""; ""Notes""; ""Glossary""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438445588

143844558X

OCLC:

840132630